Fire-escape.



B. F. BOWEN.

FIRE ESCAPE APPLICATION FILED JULY 7, 1910.

Patented Apr. 29, 1913.

T Ti 1 Q viAMwoMo BENJAMIN F. BOWEN, 0F WAYNE, WEST VIRGINIA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

oeonae.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 29, 1913.

Application filed July '7, 1910. Serial No. 570,786.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. BowEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at WVayne, in the county of Wayne and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in F ire-Escapes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in fire escapes, and more particularly to that class adapted to be secured to the wall of a building and suspended adjacent the window, and my object is to provide suitable chains with cross bars connecting the same, thereby producing a ladder.

A further object is to provide means for anchoring the ends of the chains to the wall, and means for storing the chains when not in use. v

A further object is to provide means for holding the ladder away from the wall of the building when extended from the window, and, a further object is to provide weights at the free ends of the chains to hold the ladder properly suspended.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the specification hereunto annexed.

In the accompanying drawings, which are made a part of this application, Figure l is a perspective view of the exterior of a building, showing the ladder in folded position, supported under a window, and, Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the folded ladder and supporting means therefor.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar reference. numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 indicates a bar and 2 indicates brackets by means of which the bar is attached to a wall at any desired place there on, but preferably upon the outside of the wall directly beneath a window. The

brackets 2 are provided with outwardly ex tending parallel arms 11 for a purpose which will hereinafter be more clearly set forth. Attached to the bar 1 are chains 3, which are formed of any length and are connected at intervals by cross rods 4, which rods serve as rungs or steps for the ladder.

The ends of the chains attached to the bar are reinforced by chain sections 5, one end of the sections being attached to the bar and the other end to the ring 6, carried by each end of the rungs 4.

When in use, the chains 3 are suspended from the bar 1 and serve as a ladder, and to prevent undue swinging and keeping the same in stretched condition, balls or weights 10 are attached to the free ends of the chains. hen it is desired to store the chains 3 upon the arms 11 under the window, the rings 6 of the rungs 4: are successively and slidably engaged over the arms until all of the latter has been stored thereon in folded position, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

It will be readily seen that this form of ladder can be quickly positioned for use, as it is only necessary to slide the rings 6 of the ladder over the outer ends of the arms 11, when the weight of the balls 10 will cause said ladder to descend and hold the same in stretched condition. It will be seen that by placing the bar 1 a short distance from the inner ends of the arms 11 the ladder, whensuspended, will be held a sufficient distance from the wall to enable the person descending to place his foot on the rungs.

What I claim is In a fire escape the combination with a flexible ladder consisting of parallel link chains formed in sections, the opposite ends of the sections of the parallel chains being connected, a plurality of rods having rings upon their opposite ends, the ends oft-he chain sections being fastened to the rings to complete the parallel chains, the rods forming the rungs of the ladder; of brackets adapted to be secured to a support, parallel arms projecting from the brackets and adapted to receive the rings of the said rods, a bar positioned transversely across the parallel arms, one end of the flexible ladder being secured to the bar, and weights upon the free ends of the parallel chains.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BENJAMIN F. BOWEN.

Witnesses:

W. P. WILSON, T. B. MOCLURE.

Copies of this patent ma; be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

